Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

[mantis]

Hello all,
I've been on a mission to seek out and destroy a new amp. Mesa is now on my Radar even though I didn't care for a few of the combo's I played recently. I'm not a 1x12 kinda guy. 2x12 or 4x12 is gold for me but that doesn't mean you can't talk about your awesome 1x12 combo or head and 1x12 cab.

So Open it up guys, tell me why you love mesa Engineering.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

What kind of music are you playing?

I've loved every Mesa I've played, but in partial to the Lonestar series.

 

[dave74]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

Combos are harder to judge on their own as they're mostly open-back only and just by their positioning on the floor pointed at the ankles it can produce a deceptive impression,,,,,,,,but that's with any brand.

Combo and separate sealed cab running together really shows what an amp can do,,,,especially with most mesa combos running stock mc90 and their cabs with mv30. Great mix.

 

[mantis]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

What kind of music are you playing?

I've loved every Mesa I've played, but in partial to the Lonestar series.

I'm a Metal guy but I love a good clean channel as I grew up on Fender Twin Reverb amps. My Current amp is a Krank Revolution 1 2 x 12 combo that has a Fender like clean and a Mesa Like Drive channel.

 

[Southbound Suarez]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I had a blonde Mark I RI with leather corners that was nice but I couldn't hang with the weight issue. I ended up buying an Ayan Smooth and Slim pedal which is a passive low filter made by an (engineer/musician) Boogie owner. The Smooth and Slim helps any amp to stay tight when experiencing "farty" or "flabby" low end at volume especially with high(er) power 1x12" combos like the Mark I Boogie. I wouldn't mind owning a Mesa Blue Angel 4x10" combo as I've always liked 4x10" combos such as the Fender Super Reverb or Bassman amps. I also liked the switchable EL84/6V6 output stage that the Blue Angel offered. However, both the Mark I and Blue Angel amps are no longer made.

 

[B2D]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

Mesa amps are hit and miss with me, but the hits are pretty solid.

I had, at one point, a '97 Dual Rec Tremoverb that was a fantastic amp for heavy rock and metal styles, and it also did clean and midgain stuff well. It was a little on the noisy side sometimes and the effects loop could've used an upgrade but I really enjoyed playing that amp. I sold it and got one of the newer Dual Rec Multiwatts, and while the Multiwatt was a louder, cleaner, more refined amp it didn't have that chunky, chewy, organic vibe of the Tremoverb.

If I ever get another MESA head it will be one of those.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I've had a MkV for a little over 3 years now. I have the head and run it through a vertical slant 2×12. I love it, it's extremely versatile and so far it's been very reliable. I had one pre amp tube go microphonic last week and that's been the only issue. Channel 1 has the best clean tone of any amp I've ever played (never had the chance to try a vintage blackface) and the tonal flexibility on all of the channels make this thing able to do just about everything. Sure, if you want Marshall tones or super high gain drop Z tuned metal this may not be the top choice. I would say it's a Jack of all trades Master of some.

PS I switched the power tubes from 6L6GCs to EL34B'S, it made the cleans great, but not awesome like before, but it made the overdriven tones better for what I like to play

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

My experience with Mesas is currently owning an Express Plus 5:25 combo and playing a TA-30, Lone Star Special, Mini Rectifier, and a Mark Five:25 at the Hollywood Mesa store.

The Express Plus 5:25 combo is hands down the best amp I've ever owned, though it's not the amp for me, and I am looking to sell it. The harmonic complexity is awesome. It's very hard to get a bad tone out of it. I even like what some consider one of its shortcomings - it can fuzz out in the low end at some gain settings. It's unexpectedly grungy in a cool garage-y way, and an interesting departure from the usual crystalline tones it yields. That's actually why I'm getting rid of it - the tones are too "good". I'm looking for something nastier/hairier/more British. It can kind of get there with the many EQ options - but that's another reason I'm getting rid of it. I don't want/need 3 different EQ options and so many switches/knobs. But for someone who wants versatility from country up to classic metal, this amp is great.

TA-30 did a really good Vox impression, but that's not what I'm currently seeking. Visually, it's super cool looking.

Lone Star Special had amazing cleans, some of the best I've ever heard. Like, different kinds and textures of cleans - maybe a 3D version of Fender.

Mini Recto I probably liked the most b/c of its relative simplicity, though it's much more gain than I would ever need.

Mark Five:25 is like a step up from the Express Plus series - similar control set, same versatility, but better at high gain.

Mesa build quality is really, really high. You can just tell that you're at another level when you're playing one. Built with pride in USA does mean something with Mesas.

I'm not sure if I'm a good fit for the brand b/c it tends to lean towards the complex (many options/switches/knobs), and the whole vibe seems to cater to a level of musicianship well beyond mine, heh. And most Mesa owners would agree, they take a long time to dial in. Definitely not a "set everything to noon and go" brand.

But I would recommend Mesas to anyone. Granted, I've only owned 1 and played 4 others, but all were extremely, extremely good. Any reservations I have about them are more along the lines of, "Is this Ferrari the right car for me" rather than "Is this Ferrari a good car".

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

My Mesa experience is with the Royal Atlantic. It's a 2x12'' combo and heavy as hell, but gosh do I love it. I love that I can get the cleans to stay pristine clean and, coming from an owner of a vintage Vibrolux Reverb, vintage Super Reverb - they can do the Fender clean thing well with just the right sparkle (very, very underrated). The Blue channel is really where I live on the amp and I love getting that light to mid gain midrange push. The red channel is a bit too smooth and saturated for my taste, but it works well with the few songs that have some heavier palm muting and drive. I really do like this amp better than my Bogner Shivas, but I'd still like to try other Bogner amps eventually like the Goldfinger or XTC Classic.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I've got a Road King combo. Heavy beast.... (98 lbs) and insanely tweakable. It can be fun, but it can be frustrating depending on if I want to tweak or if I want to just plug in and rock. The variety of tones available is pretty mind blowing. Here it is...

 

[hydro]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I've had a dual recto and currently have an Express 5:50+

I love Mesa amps but recently I changed philosophies and went to pedals for dirt. That undermines half the point of a Mesa which is great variety of high gain options.

Nonetheless I have my 5:50+ dialed in such that I can get a Marshally clean tone on one channel, a Bassman like clean on the other and I will continue to value the EQ stack, built in spring reverb and power scaling features.

I think Mesas (especially Express, MK series, Road King and so on) are ideal studio amps because they can get so many different sounds. Live, well.... it's a lot of knobs.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I like Mesa.

 

[saladin]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I've had 3 over the years. First one and the one I wish I still had, was a Studio 22+.
Very nice sounding amp although a little boxy thru the internal speaker, plugged into a 4-12...amazing!
I'm surprised these are still relatively cheap used these days seeing that low powered amps are all the rage.

Next up was a Mesa Studio Preamp that I ran thru a Mesa Fifty-Fifty Power Amp. Again, thru a 4-12 amazing tones!
My one and only complaint with both of these and the Mark Series in general, is the shared EQ.
It's very hard to balance the EQ for both the cleans and the dirty's.

Finally, the best clean tones I've heard from an amp. The Mesa Maverick 4-10. I was quite happy with the '68 Bassman/Showman Cab
I was using at the time. I got offed the Maverick as a trade for a very old SG I had. Brought the amp to our practice spot for a trial and even
our heavy handed drummer noticed how good it sounded. Chimey and 3D like, it was a tone that just made you smile. Did the trade for the SG
(which I hated-SG's feel like toys to me) and sold the Fender setup for a pretty penny. My only complaint was that the drive channel was muddy and
lacking in any of the chime that the clean channel had. It didn't matter as I was using pedals for gain at the time and with that clean channel as a base,
the pedals sounded heavenly. Later sold it for a very nice sum, but I do miss that clean channel!

 

[dave74]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I've played a few of the other series' in combo form at one time or another, but my only real long-term experience is with their rectifiers.
Right now I have a 95 dual, 99 tremo, 09 single2, 2011 multi-watt triple. I've also spent some good time on a friend's early 3-channel dual.

The tonal range on the rectifiers is just outstanding IMO. No matter which guitar/pickups/boost I choose it's always possible to get what I'm listening for ("the tone in my head" lol).
There is some differences between the different versions but it's hard to really pick which I like the best, I'd be fine with any version but the single at 34LBS is by far the easiest to haul around.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I like Mesa.

Really??

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I own and play the:

Road King V1
Stiletto V1
Single Rec Solo 50 V1
Mark IV (short head)
Blue Angel 4x10
The Coliseum 300 Power Amp.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Enjoy your search,

~LD

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I owned a Single Recto for about 3 years. Nice amp, with good tone. I could not jive with the eq and was always turning dials. Sold it last year.

My low volume practice amp is one of the new Roland Cubes. Its gain channel is based on the Recto, and it sounds better than my old Mesa head! Lol!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I have a 1x12 Dual Rect Blue Angel, which is unlike any Mesa you are bound to play. 5 knobs, no master volume and selectable between 2-6v6 or 4-EL-84 tubes or all 6. Really wonderful sounding amp that sounds divine on 4 or 5.

 

[crguti]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I had used the dual rectifier. It needs little to none tweaking to sound metal out of the box. Instead, the 6505 needs a lot of time to dial a good sound.
The Mesa standard oversized slant cab is the tighest cab I have ever heard. I tried the Engl and Orange cabs, but I ended up using the Mesa for our recordings. Take this statetement with a grain of salt bcs I only play metal so i don't know how good that cab will sound with 'other' music styles.




pd.: is good to be back

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Lets talk about ALL Mesa Boogies. Come in and brag about you're please!!!

I have a Dual Rec Trem O Verb. It is a beast of an amp. Clean to scream, 2 channels with two modes each and assignable across channels. More switching and looping options than you will ever need. More wattage and headroom than you will ever need. Valve reverb, valve trem.